Separation
by ShaduofTexitar
Summary: What happens when Yugi and Yami are separated due to a Shadow Game? Can Yugi take the pressure of the Shadow Realm? Or will he fall? And will Yami be able to protect Yugi, or will he fail as well? COMPLETED!
1. The Dream

Separation

Everything starts out normal, for Yugi anyways. But when Marik shows up, everything heads south. How will Yugi survive in the Shadow Realm without his yami to switch with?

Chapter 1

The Dream

_I am running from something, though I don't have a clue as to what it is. I don't think it's something you can actually see, it's just a big shadow. But none the less, I wish to get away from it. Then, I see my yami, my hope._

"_Yami, Yami help me," I plead._

_But Yami says nothing. He doesn't even move. It's like he's glued to the spot, or frozen like a statue._

"_Yami help," I plead again._

"_No," Yami replies._

And then a big black vortex opens up from underneath me, and I fall through it.

I landed with a thud on the floor. I was head first on the floor. I was halfway out of my soft bed. I slipped the rest of the way out and sat on the floor, rubbing my spiky head.

"Owww," I moaned quietly.

"What happened?" Yami asked.

"I don't know really," I replied, looking up into the soft, semi-transparent face of Yami. "I just had this really weird dream and woke up down here."

"What dream was it?" Yami asked me.

"Um, it was the same one as I've been having for the past week or so," I replied, climbing back into my bed. "It's really strange, I keep having basically the same thing, but every time I have it, something in it changes."

"What do you mean?" Yami asked.

"Well, like the first time, I was simply running towards you. Then a shadow appears and I am running from that," I explained as I looked into Yami's face, trying to read what he was thinking. "You help me. But each time, you get less and less helpful."

Yami didn't say anything, he just thought.

"Yugi, are you okay?" came Grandpa's voice from the hallway.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I called back.

"Alright then," Grandpa answered as he walked back to his room.

"See you tomorrow Yami," I tell the pharaoh.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," he tells me.

I lay my head down and close my eyes. I picture the soft face of my yami in my mind as I fall asleep. I feel Yami softly brush my forehead with his hand as I fell asleep. The next morning, I wake up with a massive headache. It felt as though some one had put my head in a vice and tightened it as tight as it would go.

I moaned slightly as I walked down the stairs to breakfast.

Yugi, maybe you should stay home today Yami suggested.

I sort of wished he hadn't chosen to talk mentally with me at the moment, but I guess it was better than talking to him out loud.

Nah, I'll just take some aspirin before I leave for school I replied.

Yami didn't say anything. I hoped he trusted that I knew what I was doing, though I think I was crazy too. But I was going to school mostly because my friends were there. I didn't want to worry them.

"Good morning Yugi, sleep well?" Grandpa asked as I sat down at the table for breakfast.

"Not really," I replied.

Grandpa set my breakfast in front of me. He sat down across the table. I really didn't fell hungry right now, but I'd eat some, just to make Grandpa happy and to show Yami that I'm ready to go to school. Just then there was a loud knock at the door. I winched. My headache was still at full power for I hadn't taken any aspirin yet.

"I'll be right back," Grandpa told me, standing up from the table and going to and going to answer the door.

He came back with a big box that he left in the living room.

"New shipment of cards just came in," he told me.

Every word anyone said felt like a hammer was pounding away on my brain. A hit for every word.

"Yeah," I said, looking down at my food, trying to sound interested.

Breakfast was toast and eggs. Joy.

"Can I ask you to help me sort them after school today?" Grandpa asked.

"Sure," I replied.

I wish he would just stop talking.

"Are you okay Yugi?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just got a massive headache after falling on my head last night," I replied.

"Oh, well take some aspirin before you leave for school and you should be fine," Grandpa told me.

I ate the rest of my breakfast.

See, Grandpa's not worried," I told Yami.

Hmmm, was the pharaoh's reply.

Yami, it's nothing to worry about. It's just a headache.

That's not what's concerning me Yami replied.

Then what is it? I ask.

Nothing that can't wait until after school, he told me. And if you don't hurry, you're going to be late.

I looked at the clock and realized that I had ten minutes to get to school. I got some aspirin, said goodbye to Grandpa and sped out the door. I got to school and inside my class just as the bell rang.

"Man Yugi, you cut it pretty close there," Joey whispered to me.

"Yeah, I know," I replied.

"Where were you this morning?" Tea asked.

"I had a massive headache and had to grab something for it before I left," I told her.

"Okay class, settle down now," the teacher's voice boomed.

I winched slightly. The aspirin helped, but my headache was not completely gone.

"Your head still hurt?" Joey asked.

"Yeah, a little," I replied.

The day went pretty smoothly after that. My headache was gone by lunch time. At lunch, Tea went off somewhere else so Joey, Tristan and I all sat together.

"Hey Yugi, can we let you in on a secret?" Joey asked.

"Um, sure," I told him.

"Tea's completing her basic dance class and is moving onto the advanced class," Tristan leaned over and whispered in my ear.

"Her final performance for that class today right after school," Joey told me. "We're going to throw a party for her afterwards at Tristan's house."

"We need you to get her to come to my house some how, after," Tristan finished.

When the last bell rang, I caught up with Tea at her locker.

"Hey, Tea," I said.

"Yeah, what's up?" she replied.

"Um, I was wondering if you could come over to Tristan's house with me to help him with something," I lied.

I'm not a very good liar, really.

"I've got something I've got to get to right after school, but I can help afterwards," she told me, raising an eyebrow.

Blast it, she knows I'm lying, hope she'll still come.

"Do you know when it'll be done?" I asked.

"Yeah, about seven," she replied.

"That'll be fine, see you then," I told her and then I ran off.

Yugi, Yami's voice startled me.

Yes? I answered him, slowing to a walking pace.

I feel like something terrible is going to happen at this party

It's just a little celebration, what could happen?

I've learned something, never ask 'What could happen?'.


	2. Let's Party

Chapter 2

Let's Party

I went to Tristan's house soon after that. I don't know what Yami meant, but I wasn't going to let it worry me. It was nothing. When I got to Tristan's home, I rang the doorbell. Joey took his dear sweet time in answering it, but he did.

"Hey Yug! Were ya been?" Joey asked as if I had been gone for years.

"Ah, Yami just wanted to tell me something, so I had to stop, but I'm here now," I explianed.

"Yugi, come in, I've got something I need you to do for me," Tristan told me.

We scrambled around for a couple of more hours until everything was finally ready. Exhausted, we fell down on the couch and turned on the TV. I was so blizted that I fell asleep, which wasn't the best thing to do, actually. The next thing I knew, I was in the middle of another dream.

_I am running again. Running faster this time. I see my yami once again._

"_Yami, help, please," I plead again._

_He simply stood there, just like last time. This time, I tripped over something and fell. The shadow got closer and almost got me. But Yami attacked, though I'm not sure how, and it retreated._

"_Thank you," I told him as he helped me up._

"_I must tell you something of great importance," he told me._

_This was very unusual. Never before had he actually talked to where I could hear him. In the earlier ones, he had said something, but I could not hear, or understand, it._

"_What?" I asked catiously._

"_It is coming," he said without expression._

"_What's coming?" I asked a little bewildered._

"_I mustn't reveal that to you just yet. You'll find out soon enough, for it is almost here," Yami told me._

"_But what is it?" I yelled as Yami faded into the distance._

_But he said nothing._

I was shook awake by Joey.

'Hey Yug, wake up," he told me. "It's almost seven."

"Huh?" I asked groggily as I came back to reality.

"Welcome back," Tristan said.

"What happened?" I asked, a little bit disoriented.

"Well, we got everything set up and crashed on the couch," Joey told me.

"You fell to sleep pretty quickly," Tristan added.

"You were out for two hours, at least," Joey interejected.

"But, it only felt like two or three mintues," I told them.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter anyhow," Joey decieded. "Our guest of honor should be arriving soon."

He had no sooner said that when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," I jumped up.

I walked over to the door and opened it.

"Hello," I said.

"Yugi, I'm here," Tea said.

"Tea! Come in!" I told her.

She walked in and looked around. I followed. Aparently Joey and Tristan had dimmed the lights. It was almost completely dark in the room that we now stood in.

"Yugi, what's this-"Tea started.

But Joey and Tristan jumping, and rasing the light, saying, "SURPRISE!" stopped her.

"What's all this for?" she asked in shock.

"Don't you know?" Joey asked.

"We heard about your graduating to the advanced dance class and decieded to throw a party for you," Tristan replied.

She was silent for a second and then said, "Thank you. I don't know what to say."

"Let's party!" Joey cried.

Within mintues, everyone was eating chips, drinking sodas, and talking about different stuff. I sat down on the couch. There was something I had to talk to Yami about.

Yami?

Yes Yugi, are you okay?

Yeah, sort of, I just gotta tell you something

What is it?

I fell asleep eariler today

I noticed

Anyway, I had that dream again and it was much, much different than all the others

How so?

In the dreams before, when you talked, I couldn't understand you, but in this one I could

What did I say?

He was obviously eager to hear what he had said.

You told me that 'It's coming'. But when I asked you what 'it' is, you simply told me that I would find out soon enough

Interesting

Then it started to pour.

"Great, now how am I gonna get home?" Joey asked. "Not that I want to go," he mumbled under his breath.

"Don't worry, you can stay here until it let's up," Tristan told us. "My folks are out of town and won't be back until tomorrow."

"Thanks Tristan," Joey said.

Then, I heard something that caught my attention. It was very faint, and it sounded like it came from the window, or a window, but I had no way of knowing what it was. For all I know, it could've been some dumb cat that fell off the window ceil or something. So basically, I just brushed it off and went on. It wasn't until I heard a crash that I started to get worried.

Yami, do you know what that was?

Nope, no idea

Then I heard Tea gasp and I turned around to see Marik, the Millennium Rod holder and threat to all humanity.

[Great,] I thought. [It can't get any worse, can it?]

Tip, never ask that question either.


	3. Blue Eyes

Chapter 3

Blue Eyes

"Marik, what do you want?" I cried out.

"Your puzzle, what else?" he replied, looking at his Rod.

[What else is new?] I thought.

"Well, you can't have it, you have yet to defeat me in a duel!" I replied.

"Yes, but I have found a loophole," Marik told me. "You see, if I challenge you to a challenge of sorts, and you fail, then I may take your puzzle."

"What kind of challenge, whatever it is, I'm ready," I growled.

Marik held up his Rod.

"First to separate you from Yami," he grinned.

I could feel Yami's presence leave my body. It wasn't a very pleasant feeling because it was against his will, and Yami was fighting against it. He doesn't seem to realize that when he does stuff like that, it puts a major strain on my body, and me.

Once Yami had been separated from me, Marik spoke again, saying, "And for the next part of the challenge."

The room we were in started to grow dark and cold. I know that this sensation was only one thing. We were entering the Shadow

Realm.

"Marik, why have you done this," my yami piped up.

"This is where the challenge will take place," Marik explained. "I have set up ten tests, each of them a little harder than the rest. If you some how manage to pass all these, then you earn the right to face me in a final match. If you do not pass any one of these tests, then your puzzle will belong to me. See you at the finish line."

And with that, Marik disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Now what?" I asked Yami.

"I guess we start walking," Yami told me.

We walked for what seemed like hours, days. We finally ran into the first obstacle.

"Uh, Yami, what is that?" I almost stammered.

"It looks like a Blue Eyes," he replied.

The dragon let out a loud roar. It stared down at us with the same steel hard glare that Kaiba had. Its blue eyes didn't seem very friendly.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I wish Kaiba was here," I whispered.

Yami just nodded. I knew he was trying to figure out a way to get past it, or defeat it. No monster we could summon can defeat the Blue Eyes, and besides, Marik probably made it to where we couldn't summon monsters, that would be too easy.

The Blue Eyes interrupted our thoughts with a White Lightning attack. We jumped out of the way, and just barely missed the attack. I decided that we might try and negotiate with the beast.

"Blue Eyes, would you please let us pass?" I cried out to the big

dragon. "We're not going to hurt you, we just, um," but I trailed off as I looked into the creature's eyes.

The next thing I knew, the dragon had picked me up with his tail and was looking at me like I was a tasty snack. Yami looked around frantically for something, something to help. But he found nothing.

"Hey, dumb dragon!" Yami yelled.

The dragon and I both looked at Yami.

"Yami, are you nuts?" I yelled.

"Trust me," he mouthed.

I sighed. There was nothing else I could do. I was in no position

to do a thing. I could only watch as Yami tried to put his little "plan" in motion.

"So, what are you, a dragon or a huge paper weight?" Yami

taunted. "You don't look so tough. I bet I could take you down with a twitch of my pinky."

[He's been spending too much time around Joey] I thought.

The dragon put me down and started towards Yami. I watched in horror. I thought frantically. I came up with a plan. If Yami and I both taunted the dragon, maybe he would become frustrated and leave.

"Are you sure you're worthy to have a master like Kaiba?" I called out to the dragon.

It spun around in my direction, wide-eyed, if that's even possible for a dragon.

"Yugi's right, you're not good enough for Kaiba," Yami agreed, simply playing along with what I had started. "Kaiba's much to good for you. Maybe someone like Pegasus or Joey would be better for you."

"Joey most defiantly," I nodded my head. "He's the only one you're worthy of."

Yami and I went on like this for a while longer. The dragon finally got fed up and launched an attack.

"Kaiba would be disappointed," Yami said to the dragon.

"I mean, his prized dragon being a weakly, the shame," I added.

"Joey's Baby Dragon is stronger than you are," Yami kept taunting.

The dragon couldn't take it any more, you could tell. The

dragon got mad and stormed off in a rage, wind billowing behind it.

"Phew," I said. "I'm glad that is over."

"Yes, but they're only going to get harder," Yami reminded me.

"Why do you have to bring up the bad stuff?" I asked him.

But Yami didn't reply.

"One down," I whispered to myself, "and nine to go."

And Yami ended up being right, they did get harder.


	4. What's this stuff?

Note: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! But everyone already knows that. Kazuki Takahashi does, and everyone knows that too.

Chapter 4

What is this stuff??

Yami and I walked on. We really had no idea where we were going, but we knew where to go, like we were being drawn there. I had something on my mind, but I hadn't asked Yami yet. I guessed now would be as good a time as any.

"Hey Yami, why did you taunt that Blue Eyes like you did?" I asked.

"Dragons are very sensative about there pride and status," Yami explained. "If you target that, you can usually take them down without them even putting up a fight."

We walked along a while longer until they came to a darker patch in the floor of the Shadow Realm.

"Yami?" I asked.

"Yes?" he replied.

"What is that?" I asked him.

He looked at where I was pointing. It was a big, dark patch of ground and it definetly didn't look friendly.

"Um, I don't know," Yami confessed.

I looked up at him. I was worried that it was something bad.

"Well, I guess there's only one way to find out," I said.

I, not doing the brightest thing in the world, walked right into it. It wasn't so bad. Until it got level with my chest. Then I knew that something was wrong.

"Yami," I cried.

"What is it?" he asked.

I looked back at him. Man, he was smart, he hadn't gotten in yet.

"I'm stuck, this stuff is like tar," I cried out to him.

Yami's eyes widened.

"Ooo, lookie what you stepped in," Yami teased.

[Yep, he has definitely been spending way too much time around Joey] I thought.

"Yami this is serious," I told him, the helplessness I felt now showing in my voice.

"I know that," he said, thinking franitcally.

I could feel the tar like stuff tightening around me. It was becoming steadily harder to breath.

"Yami!" I said once again.

Yami looked at me. Then, he unexpectedly jumped onto my head and landed on the other side.

"Yami, don't leave me here!" I yelled at him, my breaths coming in short gasps now.

"I won't," Yami assured me.

Yami closed his eyes. I wondered what the heck he was doing, but I trusted him. I wish he would hurry up. Then, out of the blue, a force, that sort of felt like a hand, tightened around me. I wanted to scream, but couldn't, I didn't have enough air. It was grasping tighter than the tar. I looked at Yami and saw his face tensed with concentration. Man, I sure hope he's doing this thing, and nothing else was. Slowly, the hand lifted me up and set me on Yami's side. It let go, and I sat there for a second, heaving for air. My sides hurt. I looked at Yami. He looked a little worn out, but otherwise okay.

"Are you okay Yugi?" Yami asked, looking down at me.

"Yeah," I replied, finally regaining my breath.

"Do you want to take a break?" Yami asked. "You had a close call."

"No, do you need a break?" I asked.

"Nah, I'll be fine," Yami told me.

"What was it that you did?" I suddenly asked.

"I don't know really," Yami confessed. "I think that the Shadow Realm allows me to unlock more of my powers. I didn't really know what I was doing, I just did it. It was like I knew how to do that all along. But I can't seem to remember how to do it now."

"That's okay, at least it worked when we needed it to," I grinned at the pharaoh, who grinned back.

We then continued onto the next challenge. Unfortunately for me, I was starting to feel, drained I guess. Anyway, we would have to work fast. Marik, and time, waited for no one. And that included me.


	5. A puzzle for the weary

Note: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! But everyone already knows that. Kazuki Takahashi does, and everyone knows that too.

Chapter Five

We seemed to be going at a pretty good pace. Yami and I had found something to talk about to pass the walking time. We almost didn't know it when we had come the the next challenge. Yami waked right into it, literally, and slid down into a sitting position. It was a big wall with ten tiles across and ten tiles down, though the bottom right corner piece was missing.

"You okay Yami?" I asked.

"Ow, yes," Yami groaned, standing up.

I looked at the wall. It seemed to be nothing. I squinted and then realized what it was.

"Yami!" I excliamed. "This is a big puzzle!"

Yami looked at it and he answered, "I believe you're right! One of those sliding ones too."

I looked at it a little more closely. Even though I knew it was a puzzle, and a sliding one at that, I couldn't tell what the picture was, and there wasn't a key. I could see a black circle, and a couple of other things, but nothing helped to tell me was it was. I reached up and pulled the one above the missing corner down. It still didn't give me any clue as to what this was supposed to be a picture of. I moved another piece to the right. Still nothing!

"Wait, hold on Yugi," Yami told me. "Look very closely at it. What does it look like?"

I looked again. Still, I couldn't tell what it was supposed to be.

"Yami, I can't see anything in it, what is it that you see?" I grumbled.

I was becoming just a little irritated.

"Look at your Puzzle, what do you see?" Yami asked.

He was trying to show me without telling me. I didn't know what he was talking about, but I did as he said.

"All I see is a triangle," I replied.

"No, what's on the triangle?" Yami questioned.

I looked again, then it hit me.

"The Millennium Symbol!" I exclaimed, looking at Yami.

He nodded and then said, "I think that's the picture on this puzzle here."

I looked at it again. By Joe, he was right. What was wrong with me? Usually, I'd see something like that. Well, come to think of it, I wasn't feeling all that well.

"Now, let's see," Yami pondered out loud. "If I moved this, would it do any good?" he slid a tile up. "Hmm..."

"Yami, move that one to the right," I suggested, pointing to one of the tiles.

Yami did as I suggested.

"I don't know Yugi, that doesn't look right," Yami stated, moving it back.

"Well, how about moving that one up and over?" I suggested again.

Yami, again, did as I had suggested, but said that he didn't think that it would work as he moved it back. I sighed.

"I guess I'll let you do it then, since I seem to be of no help," I stated sadly as I sat down to watch Yami work.

What was wrong with me? I'm usually good at these puzzles. I love them in fact. But it was like I couldn't think clearly any more. Not since I've been in the Shadow Realm. I mean, I was feeling a little tired. But I had been all day long. Of course, I never was any good in the Shadow Realm. I felt tired, maybe I should sleep while Yami finishes this puzzle. No, maybe I could be of some use.

"You okay Yugi?" Yami asked, turning away from the puzzle to look at me.

Wow! He's almost done. I guess I really am off my game today.

"Yeah," I lied.

As I've said before, I'm not a good liar.

Yami looked at me funny, then shrugged and went back to the puzzle. I watched as Yami quickly solved the rest of the puzzle, all without my help. Gosh I'm tired...


	6. Separation

Note: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! But everyone already knows that. Kazuki Takahashi does, and everyone knows that too.

Author's Note: I'm sorta getting tired of writing this story and I'm going to be writing a sequel, so I'm not going to go into much detail on the other tests.

Chapter Six

Yami and I went through our other challenges. Jeez, I can't remember them at all really. I think they went in order testing trust first, then generosity, next compassion, and then we had go get through a maze, testing our sense of direction I guess, and next was perserverance, and then wits. We're coming up on the last one now, before Marik anyways. I was lagging behind.

"Yugi," Yami stopped and turned to me, "are you alright?"

"Huh?" I looked up at him. "Oh, yeah, I am."

Dadgum it, there I go lying. Why am I trying to hide how I'm feeling from Yami? I think I'm afraid he'll worry about me too much.

"Yugi, I know you're not doing well, just say it," he looked me straight in the eyes.

I hate it when he does that.

"The Shadow Realm's just getting to me a little is all," I confessed. "But let's keep going."

"If you're sure..." Yami groaned in concern.

We soon came to yet another wall. But this time, it was different than the others; this one was solid except for a small hole near the top.

"Yugi, I think we need to get to the other side from that hole," Yami whispered. "But I can't fit, you'll have to go."

I gulped as Yami hosited me up and into the hole. It was dark, dank and musty. I never had liked horror movies, and this would make anyone culsterphobic, so I was TERRIFIED. I don't remember what happened in the tunnel, but I went through and some how opened the door.

"Thanks Yugi," Yami smiled.

I nodded and fell to my knees, I was so tired. I couldn't stand up anymore. It must be the Shadow Realm, I must be reaching the end of my enduracne. Yami rushed over to me and propped me up. I think he was about to say something, but Marik showed up and interupted him.

"Well, well, I see you have made it here," he grinned.

"Marik, what are you going to do with us now?" Yami growled.

I couldn't see their faces, I was tired and couldn't keep my eyes open, but I could just imagine the look on my yami's face, as well as Marik's.

"You two will fight me in a match to the finish," Marik sneered. "And I'm not going to give in."

"Neither are we!" Yami shouted.

"You might not, but it looks like little Yugi is out of the fight already, I won't even have to waste my energy on him, the Shadow Realm will finish him off," Marik grinned evilly.

There was a pause as my heart raced. Marik was right. I wouldn't last much longer here. I opened my eyes and looked at Yami. His expression was, well, sad. Like an 'I'm sorry Yugi' looking sad. I had only seen that expression once or twice before and I wasn't sure I liked it.

"What are you thinking Yami?" I asked quietly.

"Yugi, I'm sending you back," he answered softly as well.

"What?!" I demanded.

"You can't stay here, you'll die, so I'm sending you back to your world," Yami spoke softly and calmly, but I noticed a slight quiver in his voice, like one of those you get when you've just lost a loved one.

"But Yami I," I started but then everything started to grow black as I felt the Millennium Puzzle grow warm.

"I may never see you again Yugi, but at least you have your friends and family," Yami whispered. "If I can, I'll return someday."

The last thing I saw as I pried my eyes open one last time to look at Yami was him looking to the sky of the Shadow Realm.

"Magic, I call upon you!" he cried out. "Watch over Yugi just like you did me. Watch over him in our world for all eternity, and watch over him in his for as long as you live, please."

A black shadow, it's eyes blazing red appeared in front of Yami.

"Yes sir," it growled.

And then, everything went black as I slipped into unconciousness.

SQUEL! COMING VERY SOON, BROUGHT TO YOU BY AND SHADU! IT WILL BE CALLED COPING WITH LOSS, SO KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!


End file.
